Cam lock contraction socket



June 16, 1931. WOLFE 1,810,455

CAM LOCK CONTRACTION SOCKET Filed March 6, 1929 y fiyz ATTORNEY Patented June 1 6, 1 931 UNITED STATES I ARCHIEIREXALD WOLFE; F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY l cnivrrocxcon'rnncrron socKErr' application filed March 6,

i929. Serial no. 344,888.

emn'rrn UNDER THE'A'CT or MARCHB, 1883, esmnnnnarmt a0, 1928; 370 0. e. 757

My invention relates to improvements in electric light sockets, adapted to receive and engage the standard screw rim plug or lamp, and the objects of my improvements are,

.5 first, to produce an electric socket into which the standard screw rim electric plug or lamp can be quickly inserted,'supported and electrically connected thereto without screwing,

screw rim socket; second, to provide in a con-' traction socket a switchactuated by spring force for simultaneously elevating the center contact of said socket and completing the electrical circuit through said socket,'and 2 for simultaneously depressing said center contact and breaking said electrical circuit, and means for operating'saidswit'ch on the outside of said socket; third,to produce in a v contraction socket a switch of low cost manufacture readily designed to be used in the standard screw rim socket and electric light sockets in general, and. for all electrical.

switching purposes requiring spring action .make' and'break of electric currents; fourth,

to provide in a cam lock contraction socket a simply constructed, spring actuated, eccentr c cam lock for cottering or'loclnng the screwrim of the standard screw rim plug or lamp within the rim of said socket, provi sion for quickly unlocking same and provisionv for operating said eccentric cam lock on the outside of saidsocket; fifth, toprovide in a cam lock contraction socket a spring I actuated, eccentric cam 1ock,.which with 40*slight1change in design is readily adapted.

to beused for expansion purposes in electric expansionplugs for locking the latter within the screw rim of thestandard screw rim socket.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyinggdrawings, in which, Fig. 1, is a view'looking down on the'top of the invention from a point vertically aboveits F 7 center;'Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view on the-broken line 1 1, Fig.1; Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view on the broken line 2'2, Fig. 1; F1g. 3a is a sectional view showing the. swltchin its off position; Fig. 4 is a view of .the'bottom of the. invention; Fig. 4a is a perspective View of the annular ring used in my invention; Fig. 5, is a view of a part of the invention showing the top of-the lower section of the insulation body with all mechanism removed excepting the metal fulcrum bearing for the contactor and the bolt securf ing said bearing; Fig. 6, is a view of apart of the invention showing the reciprocating control bar of said socket switch; and Fig. 7, is a perspective view of a part of theinvention showing the power and fulcrum end of 5 the switch contactor.

Similar numerals refer to simila'rparts throughoutthe,severalviews.

'The metal threaded bolts 1, and 2, pass through aperturesprovidedin and clamp to- I gether the metal shell 5, annular member or 4 ring 6, upper section 7 of the insulation body and lower section 8, of the insulation body. The nuts 3, and 4, secure said bolts 1, and 2,

respectively, and are countersunk intothe I;

bottom of said section 8.

The shell 5, is provided with a threaded sector 9, the flanged camshaft bearing 10, the slotted camshaft brace bearing 11, and the cam aperture 12. V

The cam 13, is secured eccentric to the camshaft 14, and two-thirds of the circumference of the former is threaded to mesh with the threads on the screw rim' of the 1 standard screw rim plug or lamp.- Said camshaft 14, is rotatable and supported in the bearing 10, and slotted bearing 11, in said shellc5,and'the bearing 15, in said annular ring 6.

shaft 14, prevents downward 'movement of the latter when 'rotatated by the insulated handle 17, which is keyed to said camshaft 14, i and secured by the threaded nut 18. The H spiral spring 19, encircles camshaft 14, and

its upper end is secured to a projection of said annular ring 6, and the lower end to said handle 17, thus tending to keep said camshaft-14, and cam 13, in the locked position as shown in Fig. 2. And a ninety degree rowe The flange 16, which is secured to said cam- 9d tation of said camshaft 14, against the tension of said spring 19, by means of said handle 17, moves said cam 13, to the unlocked position.

The cavity 20, in said sections 7, and 8, accommodates the lower end of said camshaft 14, spring 19, handle 17, and nut 18.

Said shell 5, being in permanent electrica-l contact with annular ring 6, electric current from the former is conducted direct to a downward projection of the latter which forms the shell terminal post" 21, of said socket. V

The switch control bar 22, is adapted to be manually reciprocated a limited distance in the switch cavity 23, in the upper end of section 8, and is provided with the insulated handles 24, and 25, the vertical stops 26, at

one end, and the horizontal stops 27, at the other end. The latter project into the horizontal channels 28, near the bottom -of the cavity 23, thus preventing excess vertical motion of said bar 22, when said socket is assembled.

The metal spring cam 29, is rigidly, secured to said bar 22, and when the latter is moved in the.on position of said switch as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, said spring cam 29, acting on the power end 30 of the metal triple endedcontactor 31, moves the latter so that itsweight end 32, presses on and makes electri cal contact with the lower arm of the L shaped, metal center contact 33, and as the latter passes throughand is pivoted at its apex to said insulation section 7 its upper arm is automatically elevated until said lowor arm is stopped by said section 7 Recip rocation of the bar 22 to the off position moves the spring cam 29 so that the power end 30 of contactor 31 will ride over the raised portion 43 of the spring cam, as shown in This forces the end 32 of the p'eventing undesired movement of the memr 29. The fulcrum end 34, of said contactor 31, is pivoted or hinged to the metal fulcrum 35, which is secured to the under side of said section 7, by the threaded metal screw 36, which passes through an aperture pro-' vided in section 8, and engages a threaded aperture inthe metal center contact terminal post 37, securing the latter within a cavity provided in the lower end of said section 8.

binding post 37 through screw 36, fulcrum And the bearing tip 40, of

35, contactor 31, center contact 33, filament of lamp, shell 5, annular ring 6, and binding post 21.

In the practical operation of the contraction socket described herein, the switch should first beplaced in the of! position. The handle 17 is then placed in the off position and held there until a standard screw rimplug or lamp is fully inserted within said socket. Handle 17, is then released, after which said switch may be moved in the on or off position as desired, the former position completes the electrical circuit through said socket and the off position opens said circuit.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment-tome of any royalty thereon.

I claim:

1. In a contraction socket comprising an insulation body, a movable center contact mounted on said body, an elevatingand depressing means within said body for elevating and depressingsaid center contact, and a means on the outside of said body for operating said elevating and depressingmeans.

2. In a contraction socket comprising an insulator body, a movable center contact mounted on said body, a terminal post mounted upon said body for said'center' contact,a switch means within said body for simultaneously elevating said center contact and completing electr cal contact between the latter and said terminal post and for simultaneously releasing saidcenter-contact and breaking said electrical contact, anda means I on the outside of said body for operating said switch means.

'3. In a' contraction socket, a metal shell mounted upon an insulation body and adapted toreceive the screw rim of a standard screw rim plug or lamp without screwing elevatingsaid center contact and completing electrical contact between the latter and saidterminal post and for simultaneously releasing said center contact andbreaking said electrical contact, a means onthe outside of said body for operating said cam means, and

\ ameans on the outside of said body for operating said switch means. 4. In a contraction socket comprising-an upper section insulation body and slower section insulation body, an annular rin mounted upon said upper section, a meta shell mounted upon said ring and ada' tedtoreceive the screw rim of a standar screw rim plug or lamp without screwing the latter, a terminal post upon said ring for said shell,

a sector upon said shell threaded to mesh with the threads upon said screw rim, a cam means upon said shell for engaging and releasing said screw rim without screwing the latter,

and comprising a cam threaded to mesh with the threads on said screw rim and aflixed eccentric to a rotary shaft projecting downward within said upper and lower sections, bearings upon said shell for said shaft, a

bearing upon said ring for said, shaft, a

spring for actuating said shaft and'cam in the position to engage said screw rim, and an insulated handle affixed to said shaft and V projecting on the outside of said'body sections for rotating said shaft and cam in the position to release said screw rim and against the tension of said spring,

5. In a contraction socket comprising an upper and lower section lnsulatlon body, a

movable metal center contact mounted upon said upper section, a terminal post mounted upon said lower section for said center con tact, a switch means within said lower section for simultaneously elevating said center contact and completing electrical connecfulcrum end pivoted to said bearing, a spring c cam aflixed to a reciprocating control bar and engaging the power end of said contactor for actuating the weight end of said contactor into and out of engagement with said center contact, and insulated handles projecting on;

the outside of said lower section and aflixed to said control bar for reciprocatingthe latter.

6. An electric socket including a body member, a shell, an annular ring mounted between the body and shell, a terminal post ex tension formed on the, ring, a cam mounted oncthe shell for securing a standard screw rim therein, operating means for the cam, a

center electrical contact within the body, a control switch for the center contact, and

means for operating the switch. 7 ARCHIE REXALD WOLFE; 

